In the bourbon and whisky industries, after the alcohol is distilled, the resulting spirit, sometimes referred to as “white dog”, is placed in a barrel and the barrel is stored on a dunnage, or rack, in a barrel storage warehouse. The barrels are usually made of white oak, and the inside of the barrel is usually charred to prime the wood and add a smoky flavor to the bourbon, whiskey, and/or another resulting spirit. The barrel storage warehouse is a large warehouse where hundreds, if not thousands, of barrels are stored on dunnages. The dunnage is two or more parallel beams, usually made of wood, that allow the barrel to traverse along the dunnage. Several dunnages may be stacked one upon one another vertically and placed side-by-side horizontally to maximize how many barrels may be stored in the barrel storage warehouse. The barrels remain on the dunnages for at least several years to allow the resulting spirit to mature by gaining various colors and flavors from the charred barrels.
Storing the barrels on the dunnages can be a hazardous process that involves moving the barrel from where it is filled with the resulting spirit to the barrel storage warehouse, lifting the barrel to a desired dunnage in the barrel storage warehouse, and maneuvering the barrel into a desired position on the desired dunnage. Most barrels used in the bourbon and whiskey industry hold up to 53 gallons of the resulting spirit, and a filled barrel can weigh up to 500 pounds. Lifting the barrel usually requires the operation of a lifting system, such as a mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric elevator, to lift the barrel up to the desired dunnage, the operator may then climb up to the desired dunnage and manually push or roll the barrel from the lifting system onto the desired dunnage. Not only is the barrel heavy, but the operator manually pushing the barrel also has limited space to maneuver around other dunnages that already have barrels stored thereon.
This process of storing a barrel on a dunnage may cause other dunnages and/or other barrels to move around while a particular barrel is in the process of being stored, thus creating a hazardous situation for the operator. Further, a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, could cause an unpredictable hazardous situation for an operator in a barrel storage warehouse, and could cause extremely large monetary damages due to unsecured barrels breaking if the barrels are not properly secured on the dunnage in the barrel storage warehouse.
Moreover, safety is a growing priority in the storage of barrels in the bourbon and whisky industries. Recent events, such as the collapse of a barrel storage warehouse in Kentucky, have brought safety in the storage of barrels in the bourbon and whisky industries to the forefront. Therefore, there is a need in the art for further facilitating the safe storage of barrels in the bourbon and whisky industries.